Live local music and art in San Antonio has never been more accessible and diverse as we welcome the new year.

What was once a flame in the distance — a glimmer of hope — now spreads wildly through- out the city, creating new fer- tile grounds from which the identity of our city’s culture flourishes.

I am speaking of the vari- ety and quantity of events and the quality that they radiate. Through amps and across can- vases the love and dedication is apparent.

To put it any less poetically would fall short in defining the feeling of this moment in our city.

So gather your friends and plan a night out this weekend to create your own moment by appreciating local musicians and venues.

I had the chance to catch up with local band Verisimilitude. For their next black-light show,

this Saturday, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. at the Espresso Gallery ($5 cov- er, all ages), they will play with 3D Friends, Trip the Light and Crown. There has also been ru- mor of an after party with Man Alone starting at midnight.

Verisimilitude, or V-tude, is an experimental/instrumental band formed in October 2006 and consists of brothers Zach (guitar) and Dakota (bass/ synth) Appelbaum and Feliza Salazar (drummer). With influ- ences of El Ten Eleven and The Octopus Project, their perfor- mances are the wind against sails, sometimes gently guiding us through a dense sea of mel- ody and harmonious chords, and at other times casting us in entirely unexpected and new directions as the drum beats progressively gain complex- ity and invite the audience to dance along.

Q: What are some of the most memorable moments with Verisimilitude in 2013?

A: We took a road trip in August and traveled for two weeks from San Antonio to Denver to Boulder and Salt Lake all the way up to Seattle where we met with Gordon Raphael (who has produced for The Strokes and Re-

gina Spektor) and went to the Experimental Music Project museum, which is home to collections of contemporary popular culture and was one of the highlights from our trip.

We hit Portland, Crater Lake,which was breathtaking, and took Highway 1 down to Venice Beach. We had to see the Grand Canyon, everyone should, and that doesn’t make it any less extraordinary. It was a the perfect ending to our journey. Then there was Feliza’s 21st birthday, which everyone worked really hard to put together, and that was a magical night too. We brought the Jambulance (tour van) for everyone to spray-paint at the show, and the turn out was great; a lot of artists and friends contrib- uted, Flower Jesus Quintet, Pooja, and Lonely Horse played, and we left with a giant banana painted on the roof of the van, which was an unexpected bonus.

Q: What was your favorite venue to play in 2013 and why?

A: Fitzgeralds, on McCarty and San Pedro (north of downtown) has the best overall sound, which is es- sential for both the musician and the audience to enjoy themselves, and it is a venue you could invite your mom to. It’s very nice. However, The Ten Eleven, which is a dive bar that sits right on the

river, is where we got our start, back when it was called The Warhol. We have grown up performing there, and we still do occasionally. So it has many good memories.

Q: In what ways has Verisi- militude changed since you all began together and how have these changes come to shape your current sound?

A: We began playing rock and roll, and as many new bands, we initially had a lot of teenage angst that was expressed in our sound. Our older brother, AJ, was in the band and at the

time Zach was singing and putting his time in that way while learning guitar, and when AJ left Zach became the lead guitarist and we started forming the sound you hear today. We matured through our music, and our current sound reflects that focus.

Q: What can your fans look forward to in 2014?

A: We are working on a new full-length album. In fact, this show coming up this weekend will kick off the start on that journey and the shows that fol- low will lead up to the big re-

lease in the summer. This year has already been positive, and so we have a good feeling about the rest of it. It feels right, and we could not be happier or more excited about 2014.

You can follow Verisimili- tude on Facebook and Tumblr at v-tude.tumblr.com. For a more in-depth interview where the band tells us the story of their name, what it means, how to say it, plus more local musi- cians and artists, check out the podcast at soundcloud.com/ thelocallisten and ‘like’ The Lo- cal Listen on Facebook.